


Of Cuddling and Christmas Movies

by Melacka



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 31 Days of Ficmas, Christmas Movies, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Love Actually References, Romance, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:06:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27915727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melacka/pseuds/Melacka
Summary: Rose sniffled miserably and took a careful sip of her tea. She’d been feeling under the weather all day but she was pretty sure it was just down to too many days in a row with not enough sleep. Too much jeopardy, not enough rest. She was going to fix that today. She had it all worked out. A movie marathon of some of her favourite Christmas-themed movies and her fuzziest, most comfortable blanket. With any luck, she’d be able to persuade the Doctor to join her for some of it.Or, Rose and the Doctor watch Love Actually. Because why not?
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Of Cuddling and Christmas Movies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 4 of the 31 Days of Ficmas, the prompt was Holiday Movies. You can find the Prompt List here: https://doctorroseprompts.tumblr.com/post/632802154257825792/its-almost-that-time-of-year-friends-in-fact.
> 
> The prompt list is actually for the Dr Who fandom but I wanted to try my hand at the challenge without only sticking to one fandom.

Rose sniffled miserably and took a careful sip of her tea, watching Jack bouncing around the console room. She wished she had even a fraction of his energy right now. As it was, she could barely manage the strength to laugh at how irritated the Doctor looked. She’d been feeling under the weather all day but she was pretty sure it was just down to too many days in a row with not enough sleep. Too much jeopardy, not enough rest. She was going to fix that today. She wasn’t going any further than the media room in the TARDIS. She had it all worked out. A movie marathon of some of her favourite Christmas-themed movies and her fuzziest, most comfortable blanket. With any luck, she’d be able to persuade the Doctor to join her for some of it. He’d pretend to hate every film she chose, of course, but she could handle that.

“You sure you don’t want to come with me, Rose?” Jack called out, sounding excited. “This planet is known for its beauty and it throws one hell of a party!”

“No thanks,” Rose said quietly, smiling at him. “You go and have enough fun for both of us, yeah?”

“Aw, Rosie, you know nothing’s as fun without you there,” Jack wheedled, coming closer to her. “Come on, I’ll find you some nice pretty boy—”

“Oi!” the Doctor interjected angrily. “Do I have to remind you that it’s _your_ fault she’s feelin’ so sick? If you hadn’t kept her out in the cold like that last night—”

“She can’t be that sick, Doc,” Jack said dismissively. “Otherwise, you’d have her locked in the med bay for diagnosis and treatment.”

“She won’t let me,” the Doctor grumbled, shooting a dark look in Rose’s direction. “It could be something _serious_ , Rose, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, or it could just be a cold, Doctor. I’m not going to let you trap me in the med bay to be poked and prodded when all I need is a bit of quiet to recover.”

“Not much hope of that with Jack prancing around.”

“And so I shall prance off, Doc, as promised. Rosie, do you need anything from me? Want me to kiss it better?”

“Kiss what better?” Rose asked cheekily.

“Whatever you like,” Jake said, waggling his eyebrows at her. “I could start at the top and we can see where we end up.”

The Doctor scowled at them both.

“I’m tellin’ you, all I need is some rest and we’ll all be back runnin’ for our lives before you know it.”

“I’ve always found that spending an evening with some delightfully nubile—”

“Harkness!”

“—young thing is a wonderful cure for whatever ails you,” Jack continued, completely unperturbed by the Doctor’s thunderous interruption. “Sure you don’t want to go find some pleasant, willing company to while away the dull hours with?”

“Don’t need to,” Rose said decisively. “I’ve got the Doctor.”

The Doctor beamed at her and then made a shooing motion at Jack.

“Off you go, then. We’ll pick you up in a few days. Try not to get in too much trouble this time.”

Jack grinned and pressed a quick kiss to Rose’s cheek before running out the door with a wave. Rose laughed softly and finished her tea.

“You sure you don’t want me to check you out, Rose?”

“What?” Rose gasped, snapping her head up to look at the Doctor.

“Check you over for illness and injury,” he said, looking concerned. “You’re lookin’ very flushed.”

“I’m _fine_ , Doctor. Really. I just want a quiet night in with a fuzzy blanket and a movie or two, maybe some soup for dinner. Nothin’ fancier than that.”

“You sure?”

“Positive,” Rose said firmly. “But I could do with some company.”

“Company?”

“Yeah, you up for it? An evening in is much better with my favourite alien by my side. If you’re free, that is.”

“I’ve got a few things I want to get done now that Jack’s finally gone off.” He frowned at the look of obvious disappointment on Rose’s face. “Tell you what, you get started on your first film and I’ll join you in a bit.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. I’ll even bring you in some soup.”

* * *

Exactly 43 minutes later, the Doctor edged carefully into the room. Rose tilted her head back to rest against the couch and smiled at him.

“There you are,” Rose said. “I was beginning to think you weren’t comin’.”

“Course I was comin’, I promised you I would.” He raised the tray in his hands slightly to show her. “I have soup if you’re hungry.”

“Are you gonna eat with me?”

“I’ll have a bit of yours if that’s alright.”

Rose nodded happily as she made room for him on the couch, drawing her legs up under her and tucking her blanket in around them. The Doctor approached and carefully settled the tray on her lap.

“Chicken noodle,” he said bracingly. “Fix you right up.”

“Thanks.”

Rose took a careful mouthful and sighed in pleasure.

“It’s delicious, just what I wanted.”

“Good.” He settled himself in next to her on the couch and looked at the screen. “So, what are we watchin’?”

“ _Love Actually_.”

The Doctor groaned loudly and said, “Again? Didn’t you just watch this? Weren’t you cryin’ about it a few days ago?”

“I was in the mood for a Christmas film,” Rose said between sips of her soup. “It’s either this or _A Muppet Christmas Carol_.”

“A _what_ Christmas carol?”

“ _Muppet_ , Doctor. Don’t act like you don’t know what it is. I know you’ve seen it.”

“Rose,” he huffed. “Why do you want to watch Christmas movies?”

“I dunno, it’s a comfort thing, I think.” She shrugged. “It reminds me of home.”

There was a brief silence while Rose continued to eat her soup and the Doctor considered her carefully.

“Do you want to go visit your Mum? Are you missin’ her?”

“Of course I miss her, but that’s not what this is. There’s somethin’ comforting about Christmas movies, I dunno what it is.”

“Did you watch them when you were a kid?”

“Sometimes, but I think it’s just like the film version of comfort food, you know?”

“If you say so,” he said doubtfully. “Look, you’re in charge, Rose. You want a quiet night watchin’ sappy Christmas movies, that’s exactly what you’re gonna get.”

Rose grinned at him happily as he put his feet up on the table in front of them and stretched his arm out along the back of the couch.

“You’re in for a treat, Doctor.”

“Always am when I’m with you, Rose.”

* * *

“So, what do you do for Christmas, then?” Rose asked abruptly after they’d been watching the film in silence for about 20 minutes. “Got any special rituals or traditions for me to try?”

She leaned over to place the tray on the table and looked at him curiously.

“Nothin’ like this,” he replied, gesturing at the screen.

“But you must have seen lots of different Christmas celebrations over the years. What’s your favourite?”

“Time Lord, remember? Got no use for Christmas, me. The only reason I do anythin’ for it at all is the pleasure it gives you.”

“Really?”

“Course.”

“You’re just a big softie, aren’t you?”

“I am not!” he cried indignantly. “Just a more peaceful life when you’re not naggin’ me, is all.”

“You can’t fool me, Doctor,” Rose said, resting her head gently against his shoulder and turning her attention back to the screen in front of her. “I’m onto you now.”

“Why are you watchin’ this rubbish, anyway? I thought you were in the mood for comfort movies. What’s comforting about this?”

“It’s a Christmas movie!”

“Is it?” he scoffed. “It’s set at Christmas—”

“That’s all it takes to make a Christmas movie, Doctor! You just don’t know how to watch.”

“I don’t know how to watch? It’s not really a skill, Rose, this whole thing has just been a test of my patience so far. What do you see in it?”

“Love, Doctor,” Rose sighed. “Haven’t you heard? It’s all around.”

* * *

As the film started to approach its climax, Rose grew pensive again, sighing frequently and mouthing the dialogue along with the actors on screen.

“Rose?” the Doctor said tentatively. “You alright? I couldn’t get you to shut up before and now you’ve gone all quiet.”

“Do you think I’ll ever experience love like that?” Rose said quietly, sounding wistful.

“Rose, what—”

“Well, I don’t exactly have the best luck with blokes, do I? Just one loser after another and I fell for it every time.” She gestured at the screen where two of the actors were sharing a clandestine kiss in the street. “What are the chances I'll ever have somethin’ like that? Love like that.”

“Adulterous, you mean?”

“Don’t be daft, you know what I mean.”

“Are you asking if one day you’ll be happily married when your darlin’ husband’s best friend decides the only way to cope with his feelings is to treat you like rubbish?”

“No, that’s not—”

“Oh, it’s the sign thing you want then, yeah? The inherent romance of lying to your husband about carol singers so you can watch some pretty boy hold up some sodding signs?”

“You’ve got no romance in you, Doctor,” Rose groaned.

“Romance is overrated, Rose.”

“I think it’s underrated, actually. I’d love a little more romance in my life.”

“Jack seems pretty keen to offer you all the romance you want.”

“Nah,” Rose said dismissively. “We’re mates, it’s just a bit of a laugh flirtin’ with him. And it’s not real romance he offers.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“I told you, Doctor. You don’t know how to _watch_.”

“So you’ve said.”

“Well, for someone so smart you really miss a lot.”

“What are you talkin’ about now?”

“I’m just sayin’ that sometimes you don’t see what’s right in front of you.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes in frustration.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re drivin’ at with this rubbish, but I will say that I can’t imagine any reality where you don’t end up loved, Rose Tyler.”

“Yeah?”

“You deserve the very best the universe has to offer, Rose. And just because you haven’t felt it yet, doesn’t mean that love like that isn’t in your future.”

“Doctor,” Rose whispered, shifting in her seat to look in his eyes. “You really mean that?”

“Course I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” He traced a finger down her cheek softly and added, “And I happen to know that there’s more than one way to show your devotion. It isn’t just about hand-written signs and public declarations.”

“Yeah, you show it through watchin’ silly movies with me,” Rose said glancing up at him quickly before she looked back at the screen. “And holdin’ my hand when we run for our lives. And you know why that is?”

The Doctor snorted but didn’t say anything.

“’Cause you’re a big softie.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, pressing a tender kiss to her temple. “I’m a softie, Rose. Now watch the movie.”

Rose pulled her blanket up close to her chin and settled comfortably in the Doctor’s arms. She was feeling better already.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read/leave kudos/comment. I always appreciate it!
> 
> And if you'd like to request something special for one of the prompts, head on over to my tumblr (melacka.tumblr.com/) and send me a message or an ask. If I'm familiar with the fandom, I'll try to accommodate you.


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